Tennessee DOT selects Woolpert for statewide photogrammetry and mapping services contract

Woolpert has been selected by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to provide on-call photogrammetric and mapping services to support the design and construction of roadways throughout the state. The three-year contract has a ceiling of $5 million.

Woolpert Geospatial Program Director Sam Moffat said the firm will provide orthoimagery and lidar, digital terrain modeling and topographic mapping for projects that include lane and corridor expansions to facilitate growth and ease congestion, roadway design and landslide mitigation. The firm also will provide TDOT with land surveying and geospatial and topographic mapping services. Woolpert was previously contracted by the U.S. Geological Survey to acquire lidar elevation data across the state.

Moffat said the statewide lidar program has been a tremendous success, providing high-accuracy data to increase safety throughout Tennessee. That program is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

“TDOT was a huge supporter of the statewide lidar program, committing $2.4 million to that effort and utilizing that mapping data for multiple feasibility studies, engineering and construction projects—as well as to help protect our streams and wildlife habitats,” Moffat said. “That speaks well of what they thought of our work, and the money invested by TDOT has already paid for itself many times over. We’ve been collecting lidar and mapping data for the state since 2015, and we’re super excited to work with the folks at TDOT to support their mapping initiatives and to expand our geospatial footprint in the great state of Tennessee.”

TDOT Aerial Survey Manager Brandon Webb said Woolpert’s familiarity with Tennessee’s topography and its experience providing geospatial services to departments of transportation across the country made it a good fit for this contract.

“We know Woolpert can deliver the data we need as we design infrastructure to best protect drivers and passengers throughout the state,” Webb said. “We’re excited to work with Woolpert and get our needed roadway improvement projects underway.”

Woolpert Roads and Bridges Practice Leader Tom Ruschkewicz said shared and complementary geospatial mapping data collections and applications have proved beneficial for states across the country.

“Woolpert has been providing orthoimagery, lidar and mapping services to states and municipalities for decades,” Ruschkewicz said. “We’ve seen the benefits of ensuring that the geospatial data collected is specific to the needs of DOTs to support the planning, design and construction of transportation projects. We are very excited to be selected for our first contract with TDOT and to provide geospatial services that will serve the department and the state for years to come.”